Quotes of the day

posted at 10:34 pm on September 5, 2012 by Allahpundit

Two platform planks sparked division at the Democratic National Convention here Wednesday…

Obama had seen the language prior to the convention, a campaign source said, but did not seek to change it until after Republicans jumped on the omissions of God and Jerusalem late Wednesday. And even then, it had to be forced through a convention hall full of delegates who nearly shouted down the change…

A senior White House said Wednesday that the platform dispute was an unfortunate stumble during this week’s convention.

***

Democratic lawmakers expressed confusion Wednesday evening over their party’s decision to omit several key pro-Israel passages from the Democratic platform, including explicit support for Jerusalem remaining the Jewish state’s capital city.

“It was silly not to include it,” Sen. Al Franken (D., Minn.) told the Washington Free Beacon Wednesday evening, during an event meant to honor Center for American Progress founder John Podesta, a former Clinton administration official.

***

“It’s embarrassing,” said CNN’s John King when asked for his opinion on the lack of consensus among the DNC delegates. “It took, what, three times, and even then – listening from up here – it’s hard to say that was two thirds. But he just decided enough was enough.”

King says that reporters still do not know why, and no one has told them how, it was decided that the DNC platform committee would omit language that referred to God as well as to Jerusalem being the capital of Israel. He said that Congressional Democrats panicked yesterday, knowing that Romney would make an issue of the platform in swing states with a large Jewish population like Florida.

“That was embarrassing,” King concluded.

***

Two sources also told HuffPost that officials with the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the bipartisan and staunchly pro-Israel interest group known as AIPAC, had vetted the draft and signed off on its provisions.

AIPAC-linked sources later vociferously denied the report, telling reporters that the organization had initially proposed language that included Jerusalem as the capital, and that their officials never reviewed the “full Middle East platform.”

In the last few elections, the parties’ platforms have not differed vastly when it came to Israel. In 2000, both opposed a unilateral declaration of independence by the Palestinians, pledged to support Israel’s qualitative military edge, and took a pro-Israel line on Jerusalem. “Jerusalem is the capital of Israel and should remain an undivided city accessible to people of all faiths,” the Democrats urged, while the GOP argued that “The United States has a moral and legal obligation to maintain its Embassy and Ambassador in Jerusalem.”…

Wednesday afternoon’s move by besieged Democrats to add Jerusalem language to their platform is better than a refusal to do so. But who can believe this is an act of principle rather than a desperate effort to avoid the criticism that has fallen on their heads?

Let the paranoia begin. For the professional alarmists who see an all-powerful Israel lobby lurking behind every bush, rock, and cloud, today’s debacle is a goldmine. What could be a greater demonstration of the Israel Lobby’s dangerous subversion of American democracy than the sham vote at the Democratic National Convention that saw pro-Israel language shoved into the party platform over the heads of party delegates?

The reality of the situation, however, is both more interesting and more frightening than intrepid Zionist-spotters would have you believe. Today, America got an unvarnished look at the Democratic Party’s internal conflict on Israel. Half of the Party represents the pro-Israel consensus in America. The other half? Not so much. For all the talk about the unrecognizably extreme new Republican Party, it’s the Democrats whose fringe has quietly made deep inroads into the center — especially when it concerns Israel — and fundamentally altered the nature of the Party.

***

The two parties have spent much of the past two weeks eliminating all remaining reasons for the continued existence of national conventions.

Democrats this afternoon joined Republicans in finally ending the pretense that conventions are democratic gatherings where delegates have power…

“The president and his party have now changed their position. They now say that they’re not certain what the capital of Israel might be,” Romney said. “I find that one more example of Israel being thrown under the bus by the president. I think it’s a very sad day.”…

“When we have our best friend in the Middle East, a nation which shares our values, a nation now under extraordinary threat and distress when nations around it like Syria and Egypt are going through tumult of their own, for us at a stage like this, to take an action of that nature, to cease calling Jerusalem the capital of Israel — this is a very troubling development and I think one which will be recognized for what it is by people across America and across the world,” Romney added.

Blowback

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“Let us trust God, and our better judgment to set us right hereafter. United we stand, divided we fall. Let us not split into factions which must destroy that union upon which our existence hangs.” Patrick Henry – 1799

“Lettuce not be steppin’ on our johnsons in the bottom of the ninth with bases loaded, three balls, two strikes and what appears to be a World Championship victory.” Bruthaman – 2012

Steve, don’t make me come over there and slap a knot upside your head. Pull your chit together, young man.

thatsafactjack on September 6, 2012 at 12:5
3 Considering that I’d flummoxed both sons by precisely drumming entire selection on one’s desk, it’s not only great, but facilitated one of this 60yo’s greatest cool-factor coups of all time !!! LOLOL

Romney’s gone from spending under a half million Aug 6-12 to $5.2 million last week. He’s on his way. Spending concentrated, obviously, in the swing states: about $4.6 in CO; about $12.7 million in FL, etc. Oddly enough, not a dime in CA.

I haven’t been around much today so please forgive me if this has already been posted, but have ya’ll heard that Romney’s being blackmailed?

Flora Duh on September 6, 2012 at 12:53 AM

I had posted that news item and commented onit earlier.

According to Price Waterhouse, there was apparently no evidence that the files were accessed. The hackers were quite specific about the timing of the break in, and access of confidential files would leave an electronic time mark.

While the hackers want payment as difficult-to-trace internet paymnent, it can still be traced, you do have to have a final legitimate and identifiable account to put the loot in. Secret Service is on the case.

This was 0b0z0′s idea to placate his puppet master – soros- and his arab friend – muslim brotherhood. When it back fired he rode in like superhero and intervened.
What a load of crap! It was what he wanted. He has said over and over he will let it be up to the 2 sides when they meet. Sure! When they meet while “0″‘s in office, it’s good bye Jerusalem! No security for Israel! But millions of dollars for obama!

Let’s get him out in a landslide!
(voter fraud, so it has to be a landslide)

well, isn’t this interesting. We all know the leftist/barry line about how how mean the Rs are, and how they just shafted him from the get go…and how barry is really just a centrist trying to work with the ultra-right wing of the country

Nobody in the Obama orbit could even find the soon-to-be-speaker’s phone number, Woodward reports. A Democratic Party aide finally secured it through a friend so the president could offer congratulations.

right, why would you ever need to talk to a filthy R anyway? especially after you WON and are transforming the country into a post-partisan paradise?

The hackers live in the white house. They have Romney’s taxes (and have had them for months) and this is the only way they can get them released without his permission. What a joke!
So this is how they are going to do it?

And when someone makes a compelling argument as to why I should be so desperately concerned about another nation when my own is being flushed down a toilet, perhaps I will care.

Kungfoochimp on September 6, 2012 at 1:04 AM

If you care about *our* nation the same way you do about Israel..one of this countries few allies, then i don’t hold out much hope for *any* country with a Constitution, freely elected officials, etc.

And yes, while I’m sure you’ll now quote chapter and verse from the Book of Paul about how we should return to that really neat idea of “Fortress America” ,and if we ONLY give it a REAL try now in this age of instant communications and transportation, why I bet we can make America a REAL cool place…

While the hackers want payment as difficult-to-trace internet paymnent, it can still be traced, you do have to have a final legitimate and identifiable account to put the loot in. Secret Service is on the case.

And when someone makes a compelling argument as to why I should be so desperately concerned about another nation when my own is being flushed down a toilet, perhaps I will care.

Kungfoochimp on September 6, 2012 at 1:04 AM

I don’t know if I can make a compelling argument, but perhaps our nation being flushed down the toilet is somewhat tied to our leaders lack of concern to our allies and more concerned with appeasing our Middle Eastern enemies! Just saying!

.
By the way, as I sit here in the swing state of Ohio, I’ve been meaning to mention that the Romney & Romney-supporting Super PAC ads that were running as much as the SCOAMF ads up through last week …

… have suddenly disappeared and have been replaced by nothing.

I know the Romney campaign is not lacking for money.

and I know they are not allowed to coordinate with Super PAC’s …

… whose ads have also disappeared, just as completely and at almost the same time.

Since 9/11, the Israelis have not only helped us detect and run down networks like al Qaeda but also kept us intimately informed of the spreading nuclear-arms race in the Muslim world.

But what many Americans don’t appreciate is how the 150,000 active-duty and half-million reservists of the Israeli military have been our frontline of defense in conflicts in the past — and will be the tripwire for threats in the future.

Israel pioneered the hostage-rescue mission with its daring raid at Entebbe Airport in 1976. It pioneered the use of unmanned drones to knock out Soviet-built anti-aircraft systems in the ’80s and showed how to use our TOW guided munitions to smash massed Soviet tank attacks. When Israeli jets took out Saddam Hussein’s nuclear-weapons program in 1981 and did the same to Syria’s budding nuclear facilities in 2007, they not only bought Israel time against gathering threats but also the rest of the world.

When Iran reaches its nuclear tipping point, the Israeli air force may have to do a repeat performance, at considerable cost in pilots’ lives and international outrage — and again saving Washington from having to confront a dangerous strategic challenge.

All in all, that’s a pretty fair return on a $2.5 billion annual investment, in contrast to the billions we’ve poured out to such far less helpful countries as Egypt or Pakistan — not to mention Iraq and Afghanistan.

Still, the value of the Israeli military to American interests goes deeper. Its joint ventures with the US military have been essential in developing such high-tech weaponry as missiles, drones and Tactical High Energy Laser systems. Israel’s defense industry excels in the kind of innovation, creativity and efficient just-in-time delivery that’s too often missing from our own megadefense contractors and keeps both them and us on the leading edge of military technologies. Source

The hackers live in the white house. They have Romney’s taxes (and have had them for months) and this is the only way they can get them released without his permission. What a joke!
So this is how they are going to do it?

Dishonest, dispicable! I could scream!

Bambi on September 6, 2012 at 1:11 AM

Never underestimate the dishonesty of a democrat. Watching intensely to see if this comes back on DR.

OK, I leave you guys with this stunner from the Party of Slavery, Secession, Segregation and “Guam Might Tip Over”…

Rep. Yvette Clarke: The Dutch owned slaves in Brooklyn as recently as 1898

A Democratic congresswoman from Brooklyn appears to believe that slavery existed in her district until 1898.

Against the advice of her party’s leadership, Rep. Yvette Clarke appeared on “The Colbert Report” on Tuesday for one of host Stephen Colbert’s occasional “Better Know a District” segments. After getting in a few digs at Brooklyn, Colbert asked Clarke, who is currently serving her third term in the House, what she would say to her district if she could go back to 1898 in a time machine.

“Set me free!” Clarke said.

“From?” Colbert asked.

“Slavery.”

Trying to hold back his laughter, Colbert said he didn’t realize there was slavery in Brooklyn in 1898. “I believe there was,” Clarke responded.

“Sounds like a horrible part of the country, that kept slavery going until 1898,” Colbert said. “Who would be enslaving you?”

If Ms Clarke were an immigrant, I think that she would get kicked off the island on “Survivor: Detroit”* on the first week.

* Survivor: Detroit

“If I were the federal government, assuming we could wave a magic wand and pull everybody together, you pass a law letting immigrants come in as long as they agree to go to Detroit and live there for five to 10 years, start businesses, take jobs or whatever. You would populate Detroit overnight because half the world wants to come here.

All the federal government’s got to do is say, ‘We’re gonna welcome here in this country–first come, first served–families, if they’re willing to come here under the following terms,: We’re going to assign you Detroit–you got to agree to not be arrested and not take any federal, state or city money, and you’ve got to live there and if you survive seven years, we’ll make you and your family full citizens.’”

The hackers live in the white house. They have Romney’s taxes (and have had them for months) and this is the only way they can get them released without his permission.
Bambi on September 6, 2012 at 1:11 AM

Yes, the hacker for money story does not make sense. If it is a political hit job and they access the files at the different date instead of Aug 25, the Price Waterhouse initial claim that there was no evidence security of the files had been breached would not have excluded that. But the company will definitely do an electronic audit to see who had accessed the files and when in the last year.

The conspiracy that Barry campaign is the hacker is a tempting one to make, but unless there were criminal activity on the part of Romney that will be revealed by the release of the record, the risk/reward ratio may not warrant a campaign to take THAT MUCH risk. The crime would be worse than Watergate, and if investigation led to arrest it will sink Barry and whoever is involved, and they will be going to jail for a long long time. If Barry is involved and it can be proved, it will lead to impeachment AND CONVICTION. Showing Romney paid little tax in one or two years will not be damaging enough for someone doing it for political dirty trick to take the huge risk.

According to Price Waterhouse, there was apparently no evidence that the files were accessed. The hackers were quite specific about the timing of the break in, and access of confidential files would leave an electronic time mark.

While the hackers want payment as difficult-to-trace internet paymnent, it can still be traced, you do have to have a final legitimate and identifiable account to put the loot in. Secret Service is on the case.

bayview on September 6, 2012 at 1:07 AM

.
PwC’s confidential client files at that level are better protected than virtually any U.S. government data. Their potential liability with a breach of ultra wealthy client data would be enough to bankrupt the firm overnight.

The “hacker claim” is either a stupid extortion attempt or a smokescreen meant as cover for data taken from IRS files – which are nowhere near as well protected as PwC’s.

Now if DWS does “disappear” overnight – maybe she had her own little “data extraction” effort going on …

i really never saw MI, PA as all that competitive. Philly is pretty hard core D (plus an amplification effect..so to speak)

and MI with the auto bailouts…nice to try, but blue is blue

the left has many many states sown up. i can see why barry and the left thought their ship had finally come in. big win in 08. that with the locked in states (those that have been locked for 20 years) i’m sure was a heady experience.

their dream is a one party state, just like IL, CA, etc.

conservatives have to be careful not to overdo 10. we are still the underdog…and in many many areas, non existent

Kungfoochimp on September 6, 2012 at 1:31 AM
And does this bother you, DEAR….

Recently, a Pakistani religious leader, Pirzada Muhammad Raza Saqib Mustafai, said: “When the Jews are wiped out … the sun of peace [will] begin to rise on the entire world.” The same preaching is routinely done not only by clerics, but by politicians — in Iran, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and elsewhere. This is not just Ahmedinijad; it is at the heart of Islamic theology that world peace will be established only when all the Jews are wiped from the earth.

i think the tax stuff is a hoax that is nothing but a leftist dream…but there is a chance that it is a cover. there was evidence in one case that actual irs files were leaked in the case of a pro marriage group

if it meant the election, would someone way down stream do it ‘for the cause’…just like a woman in ny threw away her husbands absentee ballot because he was pro-R?

GOOD LORD, Almighy !
The only thing that.brings.me back in here … I should be sleeping .. is this …
Jackie had inspired me to find a tune online, and I got an Obama ad !! I kid you not ! I’m on my.phone and dare not go back; but I think it was a simple YouTube link ! Wow.. they’re out
. there, big time !!!

A mixed bag? have you been living under a rock for the past 30 years? Even the Saudis and Egypt did business with, Egypt until recently. Dude they bring the most stability to that region of any country out there. Quietly the Saudis would love nothing more than for Israel to take out Iran. I think you need to go study that region a little more.

I hear you. But I also don’t care to send billions and then be spied upon. This is often forgiven by some. Yes, even the Brits spy on us (probably more so since Jan ’08), but then we aren’t paying their bills.

I’d say our relationship with Israel has been a mixed bag. So no. I don’t feel like cheerleading. I guess that makes me “evil”.

Kungfoochimp on September 6, 2012 at 1:34 AM

You dont have to cheerlead, but don’t act like its “All Israel, All the Time” on every station.

Not to mention, if you feel that way about Israel, what about other countries that the United States is either strongly allied with, or at least nominally so?

Do you feel that way about Georiga, especially after the Russians decide to send in a few thousand ARMED visitors for a month or so of fun and (war) games?

What about Taiwan? They’re facing the military power of one of the largest populated countries on EARTH, and they face the same fate as Israel.

How about Honduras? Poland? Kuwait?

If you want the US to pull back to within her borders and just go back to “Sleeping Giants” status like the Ron Paulie Walnuts booster club members keep bleating about, you DO know that it doesn’t work all that well, right?

Kungfoochimp on September 6, 2012 at 1:31 AM
And does this bother you, DEAR….

Recently, a Pakistani religious leader, Pirzada Muhammad Raza Saqib Mustafai, said: “When the Jews are wiped out … the sun of peace [will] begin to rise on the entire world.” The same preaching is routinely done not only by clerics, but by politicians — in Iran, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and elsewhere. This is not just Ahmedinijad; it is at the heart of Islamic theology that world peace will be established only when all the Jews are wiped from the earth.

texgal on September 6, 2012 at 1:38 AM

The answer is that no it doesn’t bother these filthy libs that Israel could get wiped off the map. Just like it doesn’t bother the Paulbots either.

That’s one thing the filthy libs and the filthy paulbots have in common: they both hate Israel.

It is the way of the world my friend, and you don’t think we don’t spy back?
I would rather give money to them, and have their support, then to countries that then spit in our face and call us names, or want to see our destruction.

He/She would have to be as fanatic as the Islamofascist suicide bomber, he/she will be looking at decades of prison time. Throwing away a ballot is nothing like a felony of this magnitude.

And like I said, unless there are actual criminal activity in these tax returns, which there will not be, showing Romney paid little tax for one or two years would not be damaging enough for the Barry Campaign to take that much risk to steal and release stolen tax returns. A downstream fall guy can still sing.

conservatives have to be careful not to overdo 10. we are still the underdog…and in many many areas, non existent

r keller on September 6, 2012 at 1:34 AM

Romney team is nothing if not cautious, which, for better or worse, means they’ll target his ad buys in states that absolutely are essential to his election. He’s got to draw an inside straight, convincing about 6% of the remaining undecided voters who can carry those states for him. They may revisit MI and PA later, but the internals aren’t working for them right now.

You can see where the money’s really about to be spent from the link above: Colorado, Florida, Iowa, North Carolina, New Hampshire, Nevada, Ohio and Virginia.

Koch Brothers are adding Minnesota, New Mexico (?!!), Wisconsin and North Carolina.

You have to hand it to the Dems. Lumping something as politically charged as Jerusalem with the expression of God. It’s like all the bills that they lump all sorts of other spending issues into so that nobody can get a straight up or down vote. Bit them in the arse big-time.

Dude…. Angry much? Assume much (again)? I’m willing to have a discussion, but that requires two, and you appear more interested in swinging a club.

Yes. The world is complicated. Yes. We should help our friends. I like your Taiwan analogy. What I don’t like? That Israel takes center stage as an issue so often. We’re broke. Our people are hurting. Our rights are eroded by the day. I only have so much “give an s” in me. Sorry Israel, you are down the list a bit.

Never underestimate the dishonesty of a democrat. Watching intensely to see if this comes back on DR.

BruthaMan on September 6, 2012 at 1:23 AM

Remember how Jugears has won his past elections. Getting records unsealed, disqualifying the competition. It is not wild-eyed to think he may have someone tapping IRS records to help clear the field. Risky, but not beneath consideration for this candidate. They are trying the hacked story to see if it has legs.

Good evening, War Planner! Its wonderful to see you this evening! How are you, sir?

thatsafactjack on September 6, 2012 at 1:31 AM

..Jackie, sorry! I was not ducking you. I had to take my evening walk and attend to a few things. I understand how you feel about Charlie Sheen. I think the guy’s a jerk as well but I do love some of the parts he plays. You know, kinda like George Clooney; good characters; insufferable lib.

It’s good to see you as well and, of course, at my age, it’s good to be seen on this side of the grass!

You have to hand it to the Dems. Lumping something as politically charged as Jerusalem with the expression of God… Bit them in the arse big-time.

John the Libertarian on September 6, 2012 at 1:47 AM

The convention managers didn’t take enough consideration of the radicalism of the delegations in attendance. Had to be a weird moment for them, the old New Left pols whom Mayor Daley shut out of the Chicago convention in 1968, now running the show in 2012, and seeing the floor coming awfully close to behaving exactly the way they did back in the day when they rioted in Grant Park.

But I also don’t care to send billions and then be spied upon. This is often forgiven by some. Yes, even the Brits spy on us (probably more so since Jan ’08), but then we aren’t paying their bills.

Kungfoochimp on September 6, 2012 at 1:43 AM

You really are making yourself look like an uninformed idiot.

In 1973 – thanks to U.S. re-supply, but without U.S. forces, Israel defeated Soviet-trained and equipped Egyptian and Syrian forces. Israel again shared captured Soviet equipment, including T-62 battle tanks with the U.S. Israel emerged as the only reliable ally where U.S. troops could land, where U.S. equipment can be pre-positioned, where the U.S. has friendly port facilities (in Haifa and Ashdod) in the entire Middle East region. This too has saved the U.S. billions of dollars.

1970s – Joseph Sisco, a former U.S. Assistant Secretary of State, assistant to Secretary of State Henry Kissinger during the latter’s shuttle diplomacy, told the Israeli author and military expert, Shmuel Katz: “I want to assure you, Mr. Katz, that if we were not getting full value for our money, you would not get a cent from us.”

In 1982, Israel destroyed Soviet anti-aircraft batteries in Lebanon that were considered immune to American weapons. Israel promptly shared the operation’s lessons, estimated to be worth billions of dollars.

General George Keegan, former head of U.S. Air Force Intelligence has publicly declared that “Israel is worth five CIA’s.” He further stated that between 1974 and 1990, Israel received $18.3 billion in U.S. military grants. During the same period Israel provided the U.S. with $50-80 billion in intelligence, research and development savings, and Soviet weapons systems captured and transferred to the U.S.

Israel has relayed to the U.S. lessons of battle (during the Cold War – Soviet military doctrine) and counter-terrorism (including aircraft security, homicide-suicide bombings) which reduce American losses in Iraq and Afghanistan, prevent attacks on U.S. soil, upgrade American weapons, and contribute to the U.S. economy. Without Israel, the U.S. would have been forced to deploy tens of thousands of American troops in the eastern Mediterranean Basin, at a cost of billions of dollars a year.

Senator Daniel Inouye has recently (2005) argued Israeli information regarding Soviet arms saved the U.S. billions of dollars. The contribution made by Israeli intelligence to America is greater than that provided by all NATO countries combined, he said.

The American industries want U.S. aid to Israel to continue. The bulk of the $1.8 billion in annual U.S. military aid to Israel must be spent in the United States. That provides jobs for some 50,000 U.S. workers. Virtually all of the $1.2 billion in annual economic aid goes for repayment of debt to the United States, incurred from military purchases dating back many years. This debt is now close to being liquidated.

In contrast to our commitments to Korea, Japan, Germany and other parts of the world, not a single American serviceperson needs to be stationed in Israel. Considering that the cost of one serviceperson per year – including backup and infrastructure – is estimated to be about $200,000 per year, and assuming a minimum contingent of 25,000 troops, the cost savings to the United States on that score alone are on the order of $5 billion a year.

Dude…. Angry much? Assume much (again)? I’m willing to have a discussion, but that requires two, and you appear more interested in swinging a club.

Yes. The world is complicated. Yes. We should help our friends. I like your Taiwan analogy. What I don’t like? That Israel takes center stage as an issue so often. We’re broke. Our people are hurting. Our rights are eroded by the day. I only have so much “give an s” in me. Sorry Israel, you are down the list a bit.

Kungfoochimp on September 6, 2012 at 1:52 AM

I understand your frustration, but it would be better suited to stop the money from going in foreign aid to countries that oppose us, and that is a large chunk of change, before we stop work with our Allies.